Container closure



Dec. 12, 1939. J. H. MURCH CONTAINER CLOSURE Filed Deb. 11,, 1937 mm Ra a-v ATTORNEY$ Patented Dec. 12, 1939 warn-:1). STATES 2,182,818 comma cno'smm John'H. Mun-ch, East Orange, N. 1., assignor to American Can Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application December 11, 1937, Serial No. 179,363

3 Claims.

This invention relates to containers for the packaging and delivery of liquids and more particularly to a sanitary fibre container. for the packaging of liquid foods or beverages such as 6 milk, fruit juices or the like wherein the element of sanitation is of considerable importance.

The present invention constitutes an improvement upon the container illustrated and described in John M. Hothersall Patent 2,085,979, granted July 6, 1937, and especially an-improvement upon the top closure construction of said container. It advances the art a step further by providing an improved closure which will cover and protect that whole surface of the container with which the liquid product comes in contact as it is poured from the container, thereby further enhancing the sanitary qualities of this type of container.

,An object of the present invention is the pro- 20 vision of,a fibre package for milk and other beverages having a top closure construction which not only keeps the interior of the empty container in a sanitary condition from the container factory to the packers plant, but also 25 keeps the container in sanitary condition after it is filled with the beverage and especially that portion of the container which surrounds the pouring opening and over which the contents are poured and which is sometimes called the pour- 30 ing lip.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a sanitary closure for a milk or the like container which not only completely and sani-- tarily seals the filling and pouring opening in a wall thereof and stays securely in place during shipment and handling of the container, but also extends its protective seal over the whole pouring area of the container wall and over' the edges or joints of the container adjacent the pouring area.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of such a sanitary closure which may be readily opened, without any tool, by the fingers of the user and which will function as a reclosure and repeatedly protect the pouring area 7 while the contents are intermittently poured out embodying the present invention and illustrating thesame sealed and in the condition as it is received at the packing plant prior to filling with the desired product;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same; 6

Fig.3 is a detail vertical sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, showing the closure seated in place as it leaves the container factory; and

Fig. 4 is a similar fragmentary sectional View showing the closure sealed in place after the container is filled and as it leaves the packers plant.

The container shown in the drawing is generally of the construction described in detail insaid Hothersall Patent 2,085,979 and comprises briefly a substantially rectangular bodyll, preferably 15 formed from a single sheet of fibrous material folded to provide four side walls l2 and having the longitudinal edges of the sheet overlapped to form a vertical lap side seam l3.

The thus formed tubular body II has its marginal top and bottom portions beaded or necked in, that is to say each wall I2 is bent inwardly at M, then outwardly at l5 andagain inwardly at Hi to form an inner bead ll, a horizontal shoulder or end supporting ledge I8 and an end covering flap l9.

The top and bottom of the tubular body II is closed by means of substantially fiat top and bottom disks 2|, which are of a shape and dimension corresponding with the shape and dimension of a horizontal cross section of the container. Inthe preferred illustration of the drawing the ends are perfectly square.

Both ends being secured to the tubular body I l in like manner the securement of the top closure need only be described.

The top disk or end closure 2| has its marginal outer part offset annularly from the plane of its main body to a width substantially equal to the width of the body ledge l8 upon which it rests 40 and is supported, so that, when the covering flap l9 of the body is bent over and sealed to this offset part of the closure disk 2| the top surface of the fiap I9 is preferably fiush with the outer surface of the main body of the disk. A strong reenforced sanitary top joint is thus provided between the container body and end closure adapted to withstand the handling of the container incident to the shipment of the empty containers and the filling and shipment of the filled containers.

A suitable, sanitary, liquid proof and heat proof glue or cement, of which a variety are available is used in the'formation of the side seam l3 and the top and bottom seams or joints.

The top end 2| is provided with a filling and pouring opening 22 which may be of any desired shape, a substantially triangular shape being shown in the drawing. This opening 22 is preferably located adjacent one comer of the top end and is closed and sealed by an auxiliary closure 23, which preferably is made from a single piece of fibre stock the same as the container or of other suitable material which can be cut and drawn to proper shape.

The closure 23 comprises a web or strip of material lying substantially fiat over the exterior of the end 2| and extending from within one corner of the end to and over the opposite corher. It has preferably a rounded rear edge 24, a circular perforation 25, straight parallel side edges 26 and terminates beyond said edges 26 in a substantially triangular shaped web extension 21. The center portion of the closure 23 is secured to the end 2| in any suitable manner, as by staples or stitches 28. The portion of the closure 23 between its center and the web extension 21 is drawn into a cup shaped member or friction plug 29 of a shape and dimension corresponding to the shape and dimension of the opening 22 and this friction plug comprises an annular vertical friction wall 3| and a bottom 32,

the wall 3| making frictional contact with the annular edge of the end 2| which defines the pouring opening 22, thus closing the latter.

The web extension 2! provides suflicient material to completely cover and protect the joint or seam formed between the body and the end 2|, between the points 33 which mark the termination of the edges 26 and the beginning of the web extension, and to also cover and protect the peripheral edge of the joint and to extend under the joint, terminating against the undersurface of the ledge l8.

Fig. 4 shows the closure 23 in its final sealing form or position. It will be noted that the vertical wall 3| (shown in Fig. 3) is here shown expanded or projected outwardly to form a looking bead or lug 36, which provides an additional locking means and assures a secure leak proof seal which even abnormally severe shipping and handling conditions are not likely to dislodge. This beading or lugging operation is of course performed in the packers plant after the container is filled and initially sealed.

Before it leaves the container factory the finished container, including the closure 23, is completely coated inside and out with a suitable liquid proofing and stiffening material such as parafiin. Preferably the containers with the closures 23 in raised or open position are fed through a coating machine in which they are dipped or submerged in a bath of hot liquid paraffin and inverted and drained of any excess coating material, so that the whole inner and outer surface of the container and every corner and joint is completely and uniformly covered with the coating material. The closure 23 with its friction plug 29 is then pressed into sealing position. This coating and sealing operation is performed under practically sterile or micro-organism free condition and the hot paraffin itself has a sterilizing action upon all parts of the container.

After it arrives at the packers plant and it is to be filled, the temporarily sealed container is opened by lifting the friction plug 29 from its sealing position and the milk or other product is filled through the filling and pouring opening 22 in a well known manner and the friction plug is again pressed into sealing position and the extension 21 wiped or folded tightly over the container joint between the points 33, past the outer periphery of the seam and under the same.

When the closure 23 is opened and closed a hinging action takes place along a line of bend adjacent to the staples 23. The portion of the closure 23 rearward of the staples 28 may also be raised and lowered by a hinging action and used as a hanging support for the container, the aperture 25 being adapted to be slipped over a support such as a nail or hook.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

l. A closure for liquid holding and dispensing containers, comprising in combination, a tubular fibre body having its top and bottom portions extending inwardly to provide end supporting outwardly projecting shoulders, end disks supported by said shoulders and sealed to said body by securing the marginal edges of said body over said disks in liquid proof joints, a said end disk having a pouring and filling opening adja cent a said joint,'a closure including a friction plug to close and seal said opening, said closure having a portion thereof extended-to completely cover said joint within the pouring area, said extension being folded over and under the adjacent of said shoulders to obviate the Provision of auxiliary retaining means for said extension, whereby said extension covers the entire surface surrounding said opening with which said liquid comes in contact as it is poured from said container.

2. A closure for liquid holding and dispensing containers, comprising in combination, a tubular fibre body having its top and bottom portions extending inwardly to provide end supporting outwardly projecting shoulders, fibre end disks supported by said shoulders and sealed to said body by securing the marginal edges of said body over the marginal edges of said disks in liquid proof joints, a said end disk having a pouring and filling opening adjacent a said joint, a fibre closure including a friction plug to close and seal said opening, said closure being connected to said disk adjacent said opening, said closure having a portion thereof extended to completely cover said joint within the pouring area, said extension being folded over and under the adjacent of said shoulders to obviate the provision of auxiliary retaining means for said extension, whereby said extension covers the entire surface surrounding said opening with which said liquid comes in contact as it is poured from said conof, a fibre closure including a friction plug for closing and sealing said opening connected to said disk and positioned substantially between two opposed corners thereof, said closure having a portion thereof extended to completely cover the pouring lip formed'by said comer and adjacent joint, said extension being folded over and under the adjacent of said shoulders to obviate the provision of auxiliary retaining means for said extension, whereby said extension covers the entire surface over which said liquid flows when it is poured from said container.

JOHN H. MURCH. 

